Soaking the cyclist

Le Commentateur
Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
edited November 2009 in The bottom bracket
Interesting photo – the driver appears to be looking towards his passenger-side mirror, in other words completely aware of the trouble he's causing.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/11/13/article-1227469-07344E12000005DC-430_634x344.jpg


Plus a few mindless comments from cycling-haters at the DM:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rrer=yahoo
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Comments

  • Percy Vera
    Percy Vera Posts: 1,103
    It's a chick driving and she's laughing!
  • Barrie_G
    Barrie_G Posts: 479
    to be fair to the lorry driver, it is on a bend and if I was driving I don't think that I'd be slamming on the brakes, in those sort of conditions just to keep from soaking a cyclist or anyone else for that matter.
  • Percy Vera
    Percy Vera Posts: 1,103
    No need for the smirk/laugh.

    It looks to be a wide sweeping left hander so how hard is it to lift your right foot, slow down, indicate and drive around the puddle when safe to do so?

    What would that add to their journey? 10secs maybe?
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Percy Vera wrote:
    It looks to be a wide sweeping left hander so how hard is it to lift your right foot, slow down, indicate and drive around the puddle when safe to do so?

    So basically you're asking for the truck driver to stop in the road until a space appears so they can drive round a puddle?

    Come on, in winter we all, as cyclists, accept that sometimes we're gonna get soaked!
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  • Barrie_G
    Barrie_G Posts: 479
    Percy Vera wrote:
    No need for the smirk/laugh.

    It looks to be a wide sweeping left hander so how hard is it to lift your right foot, slow down, indicate and drive around the puddle when safe to do so?

    What would that add to their journey? 10secs maybe?

    It's also hard to tell from the photo if it's a grin or a grimace.

    But even if it is a grin, there will be many amongst us that has also found pleasure in someone elses misfortune, it's not that the lorry driver has swerved accross the road or gone out of their way just to soak some poor sod on a bike.
  • Aggieboy
    Aggieboy Posts: 3,996
    Set up?
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  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Aggieboy wrote:
    Set up?

    +1 Looks to good NOT to be a setup. Doesn't look like a chance encounter or a chance photo.
  • Percy Vera
    Percy Vera Posts: 1,103
    Who said anything about asking the driver to stop or swerve? You are very dramatic!

    The driver should have seen the cyclist from a distance. They then could have lifted off their right foot until the cyclist cleared the puddle or as I said before went around the puddle if it was safe to do so, without smirking.

    What would have happened if the driver lost control and hit the cyclist or any oncoming traffic?

    Obviously we don't have all the facts so it's pointless with ifs and buts..
  • on the road
    on the road Posts: 5,631
    Aggieboy wrote:
    Set up?
    Agreed. What are the chances of someone standing there with a camera ready to take a photo if it's not a set up, probably nil.
  • stevewj
    stevewj Posts: 227
    If genuine, note the number and hope to see it left parked in a quiet carpark.
  • iainment
    iainment Posts: 992
    It's called driving without due care and attention imho, and he should be charged.
    Old hippies don't die, they just lie low until the laughter stops and their time comes round again.
    Joseph Gallivan
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Quality of photo too good to be genuine IMO...
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    lets be fair, unless it happens to you, and accidental or not, it's still f*cking funny :D
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Agree with the above, looks set up, but would there be a bigger outcry if it was a mum walking with a toddler ?

    Wasn't someone fined recently for soaking pedestrians ?
  • No idea how easy it is the get a favourable outcome, but I was always lead to believe that cyclists and walkers can prosecute drivers doing this type of thing... when its real!
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  • freehub
    freehub Posts: 4,257
    My dad did this to a cyclist once, going under a bridge at night, was a deep, deep puddle, probs went into it about 50mph, could not see the cyclist, he got uber soaked I bet :lol:
  • on the road
    on the road Posts: 5,631
    I think it's 3 penalty points.
  • i would be pissing my pants. i would be laughing just as hard if i was the cyclist too.
    the lorry driver stayed on their side of the road on a bend in the wet. imagine if a family was driving the other way and the lorry hit them head on killing everyone and stated the reason they did this was because they did not want to wet a cyclist who was riding on the pavement.
    wind your necks in and look at the bigger picture.
  • on the road
    on the road Posts: 5,631
    The lorry could always slow down.
  • iainment
    iainment Posts: 992
    The lorry could always slow down.

    not could, should.
    Old hippies don't die, they just lie low until the laughter stops and their time comes round again.
    Joseph Gallivan
  • Escargot
    Escargot Posts: 361
    But even at 20mph you would still kick up a considerable amount of water so it doesn't make that much difference. Unfortunately big wheels = big mess so she'd have to be trickling along slower than the bike :?

    The cyclist is already getting soaked anyway. You can see that by the amount of water he/she's displacing by just riding on the bike.
  • It looks set up to me also. Plus even at really slow speeds a lorry like that is going to throw up a lot of water.
  • lfcquin
    lfcquin Posts: 470
    I got this from a "friend" who is a customer of Swains & Son. Looks like it was a setup as suggested by a number of you on this thread.

    Interesting that the original link for this thread came from the Daily Mail. maybe they didn't withdraw the photo like they said they would....

    DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PRESS

    We were mortified to see the use of a photo of an R Swain & Sons vehicle in various newspapers deluging a cyclist in the storms we had last week.

    FOR THE RECORD AND TO CLEAR OUR GOOD NAME HERE IS THE TRUTH.

    Our driver having completed making her deliveries to businesses and members of the public in hazardous conditions was taking her break parked in a lay by near Horndean. She was then approached by a woman stating she was completing an arts course and needed a photograph as taken in order to complete her art project. Her partner would take the photograph while she rode the bicycle. Our lady driver rather naively but "generously" agreed.

    We became aware of the situation when the Daily Mail contacted us having used the photograph on their website. As soon as the above was explained to the Daily Mail they withdrew the photograph and did not publish in their paper. Regrettably others did not and these newspapers are in the process of being contacted to print corrections and we are considering legal action.

    THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE PRESS AND GENERAL MEDIA PRESENTING A FALSE IMAGE.

    We are a family company in existence for over 90 years with a history and business built on traditional values of civility and proper consideration to all road users. As an industry we are vital to every person in this country, very little would be delivered without us. Sadly too many wish to present the industry in a bad light at any opportunity.

    I would like to think that most of you know us well enough to be aware that none of our drivers would drive so dangerously. We would be grateful if you would make as many people as possible aware of the facts as this misleading photograph by itself creates an image that reflects badly on us and our industry.

    If you have any further concerns or questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

    Paul Burridge 16/11/2009
    Commercial Director
  • on the road
    on the road Posts: 5,631
    I believe they might have grounds to sue the daily mail.
  • GiantMike
    GiantMike Posts: 3,139
    Depends on the tone of the article. If the DM said they were bastards for doing it then yes, if they just printed the photo with a witty caption then no.

    At the end of the day the driver knowingly participated in a photo which could portray her employer in a bad light, organised by people she didn't know for reasons unknown. I imagine she'd had her loyalties 'realigned' by the management.
  • The Daily Mail merely bought the rights to use the image. It was sold by a photo library (Picture It Now) who act on behalf of the photographer. The library would probably argue they are just supplying an illustrative image which may or may not have been set up and it's not their repsonsibility to check to details behind its taking. Maybe the Mail should have photoshopped out the company name and reg number...
  • No idea how easy it is the get a favourable outcome, but I was always lead to believe that cyclists and walkers can prosecute drivers doing this type of thing... when its real!
    IIRC, a driver's only liable for prosecution if they deliberately go out of their way to splash someone. Otherwise, it's just tough t*tty.
    N00b commuter with delusions of competence

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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,688
    Looks staged to me too. If not then the Highway Authority need to get their gully maintenance sorted and they should be taking the flak.
  • Mister W
    Mister W Posts: 791
    It's a set up and yes, someone was fined recently for deliberately driving through a puddle to soak a pedestrian - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8302320.stm
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    No idea how easy it is the get a favourable outcome, but I was always lead to believe that cyclists and walkers can prosecute drivers doing this type of thing... when its real!
    IIRC, a driver's only liable for prosecution if they deliberately go out of their way to splash someone. Otherwise, it's just tough t*tty.

    Wrong.

    Giving someone a thorough splashing when it is avoidable by slowing down and/or taking a wide berth is driving without reasonable consideration...